Everton invite Spurs to experience their fancy new home record

Everton’s results so far this season have been very neat. Three draws in the first three matches while manager Roberto Martinez found his Everton legs, followed by a barnstorming five wins in six.

Spurs have been quite tidy as well, if you conveniently ignore their 0-3 mess at home to West Ham, when they were undone by Sam Allardyce’s revolutionary 4-6-0 set up.

And clearly there’s more to succeeding in the Premier League than obsessive neatness, as Spurs’ position above Everton in the table shows.

However, Everton are generally perceived as a team which has got it going on, whereas Spurs, even with more points and a top four slot, are felt to be riding their luck a bit.

To settle the argument as to which of these two has made the better start to the season then, what better solution than to have them play each other.

The odds on Everton winning are 7/5, you can bet on Spurs to win at 15/8, and for fence- sitters, the draw is available at 15/8.

Recommended bets:

Bet on under 2.5 goals @ 7/10

Spurs’ success has been built on defensive ultra-meanness rather than fireworks in front of goal. Spurs fans have been moaning about not having decent strikers for years now, even though they were the “scoringest” team in the Premier League last season, and Roberto Soldado has yet to make the league’s defences tremble.

At the back, however, something very special is happening, with just one goal conceded away from home in the league all season. Spurs full-back Kyle Walker even went on record to say that Spurs felt happier playing away from White Hart Lane.

Everton have only played once against teams in the top four this season, when they beat Chelsea 1-0. No one would be too surprised if they repeated the scoreline. The real shock would be if they managed to embarrass Spurs defence.

Bet on Romelu Lukaku to score at any time @ 6/4

Everton’s top scorer and force of nature Romelu Lukaku – five goals so far in the Premier League this season – apparently has a point to prove to Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas following an unhappy crossing of paths when the two were at Chelsea.

“There is one person I will never forgive for what he did to me – the previous coach” the giant Belgian is quoted as saying at the end of last season. “It is not just that, it is also the way he spoke to me and treated me.”

Andre Villas-Boas has more recently said he thinks Lukaku will become “great”.

Mr Lukaku doubtless has designs on showing Mr Villas-Boas where he can stick his greatness.

Bet on Spurs to win 1-0 @ 17/2

This may seem contradictory after tipping Romelu Lukaku to score, but if you don’t fancy that, why not go against trend a little bit? Everton are formidable at home, where they have only dropped two points in their last ten matches.

They also have a great record when hosting Tottenham. Spurs haven’t won at Goodison since 2007 and have lost on their last three visits. Perhaps it is time for someone to knock a little of the polish off Roberto Martinez’s glowing reputation.